Dyeing machine



v June 8 1926.

-A. FEA- "DYEING MACHINE 6 sheets-sheet 1 Filed August 22, 1922 INVENT R WWW w BY FM 4W ATTORNEY A. FEA

DYEING MACHINE June 8 1926. 1,587,768

Filed August 22 1922 I 6 sh ets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY June 8 ,1926.

A. FEA

DYEING MACHINE Filed August 22, 1922 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 MW, BY

I ATTORNE Y June 8 1926 Filed August 22, 1922 50 A. FEA

DYEING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN NTOR ATTQRN EY Ju'ne 8 1926. 1,587,768

A. FEA

DYEING MACHINE Filed August 22, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENT 4 ATTORNEY A. FEA

June 8 1926 DYEING MACHINE Filed August 22, 1922 6 Sheets-sheet 6 INVE TOR ATTORNEY" Patented June 8, 1926.

uurreo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER FEA, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE FIFTH AVENUE BANK OF NEW YORK, 01? NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DYEING MACHINE.

Application filed August 22, 1922. Serial No. 583,492.

This invention relates to dyeing and scouring machines and more particularly to machines of the type provided with a rotating member which dips the material to be dyed or scoured into a vat.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts for such a machine which renderit efficient, convenient to operate and positive in action.

Another object is to provide an improved dyeing apparatus in which the mechanism adapted to dip the material into the vat is automatically removable from the vat.

Another obj eot is to provide an improved dyeing apparatus in which the yarn sticks for holding and supporting the material to be operated upon are rotated by the trip mechanism which is maintained in definite relationship to the frame or spider upon which the yarn is mounted, regardless of the position which the frame may assume.

Another object is to provide an improved construction adapted to insure. the exposure of the material to the dye liquid.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement for holding and supporting the material to be operated upon, whereby the insertion and removal of such material is facilitated.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and advantages of this invention reference should be had to the following detailed description, which describes the best illustrative embodiments of this invention at present known to me, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the interior mechanism;

Fig. 4 is another sectional view taken at a plane at right angles to that in Fig. 3 showing the arrangement of members adapted to hold the material to be operated upon and the construction by which these members are supported;

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation detail of the mechanism adapted to co-operate with the members for holding the material to be dyed;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a further detail of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5 and more clearly illustrates the manner of its co-operation;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged'section through the spider, showing a detail of the yarn stick support for permitting move ment of the stick past one of the spider arms.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged section through the movable yarn stick supporting ring intermediate two arms of the support ing spider, showing the method of support-- ing a yarn stick at this point.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal cross-section of a member for holding material to be dyed;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal cross-section of another form of member which co-operates with the first illustrated similar member, while Fig. 12 is a transverse cross-section of one of these members.

Referring to the drawing, the machine comprises a casing having supporting posts 2 and a dome-shaped top 3 supported by the frame of the casing, the sides of the casing being provided with hinged doors 4 and a sliding door 6. The bottom of the casing is formed by a vat 1 of semi-cylindrical crosssection which is suitably attached to posts 2 and in which there is positioned means adapted to support yarn for movement therein here shown as a horizontally journaled spider 10 which is adapted to rotate to dip the material to be dyed into the vat.

The hinged doors 4: are each provided with a counter-balancing weight 5 for the purpose of keeping the doors open or closed. For a similar purpose there is provided a sliding door 6 which is counter-balanced by machine is preferably skeins of yarn or similar material'which may beilooped' over two series of yarn-sticks 24 and 34 which are supported on rings 13 and 14 respectively, held-in position by, quadrantallydisposed, arms 11 ofthe spider 10. Each skein is thus supported by a pair of yarn sticks, one member of which pair is supported by the outer supporting ring 13, and the other member. is. supported by the inner supporting ring 14. It will be seen that as t-he spider 10 is rotatedabout itsshaft 12, the yarn skeins supported on the yarn-sticks 24 and 34 will be thereby carried below the surface of the liquid in the vat- 1, and thereafter raised; to be'removed or the actiorrrepea-ted. In order to hold the yarn stretched firmly onthe sticks 24 and 34, the rings 13and14 are constructBd-to'be rotatable withrespeot to each other. For this purpose, the ring 14 is 'constructedin aplurality of? connected. ring sections disposed at opposite faces of the spider and slidably contacting with the spider arms to rotatably support the supporting ring, as best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8. A rack 18 is also mounted on ring 14, meshing with a gear 19 mounted on a shaft 20which extends to a position adjacent one side of thecasing; Shaft; 20 is adapted to be rotated. by means of a suitable worm 21 which, inturn, may be rotated by a crank 22 provided with a handle 23. Thus by rotating crank22, ring 14 may be rotated with respect to ring 13, thereby stretching taut the yarn-skeins placedover yarn-sticks 24 and 34.

As described above, the spider 10 is composed of four arms 11 which are'centrally, disposed on shaft 12 andwhich supports rings 13 and 14. The yarn-sticks 24 extend from either side of the outer ringlS and similarly. the yarn-sticks 34 extend on either side of the inner ring 14. In order that. the inner, ring may be rotated, certain of the yarn-sticks are adapted. to pass by arms 11 of the spider 10. The inner ring 14 is therefore constructed as shown in Fig. 8, wherein, at the portions adjacent arms 11, the ring. 14 is divided into two sections 15, each bearing laterally againstthe spider arm 11 at 16, and radially at the surface designated 17.

Rotation of the spider. 10. iseffected by means of a suitable electric motor 66 which operates through a pinion 67 an idler pinion 69'and a gear 68 to rotate a. worm 7'1 meshing with a worm gear 100, mounted on a shaft 58. Shaft 58 1s also provided with a spur gear 101 which meshes with a ring gear 73 mounted on the outer ring 13 of the spider 10. Thus by thepower of themotor 6.6

transmitted through thereduction gearing above descr bed, spider 19 may be rotated,

' preferablyat low speed,to effect the dipping off the yarninto the vat 1 The proper spaced relation between the shafts 58 and 12 is assured by a bar 75 which links the two shafts together.

As spider 10 is rotated, dipping the yarn into vat 1, it will be seen that those portions of the skeins which lie on the surfaces. of the i y n-s i k releast; likely. t touch y the y liqu nd n rde tha hese p tions, may be exposed to the dye on subsequent. rotation of the spider, means is pro vided by which the yarn may be rotated or moved on t-heyarmsticks 24 and 34. This means comprises star-wheels which are fiXQClonthe shafts 25 of'theyarn-st-icks 24 and which are adapted to be rotated a certain amount upon each revolution of the spider 10 by means of a tripping mechani'sn'l.

The details of this-tripping mechanism are shown iii-Figs. 5, 6 and 7. By means of two arms 56 which are spaced so as not to interfere with the rotation of the spider, and are independently jou'rnaled on the shaft 12' and connected at their other ends by a transverse rod 103, and also by means of a yoke arm 57 which is independently journaled on the shaft 58, there is supported a U- shaped member having arms 54 between the ends of which is positioned a roller in the path of the star-wheels 50, and with which the star-wheels engage. This U-shaped member is rotatable on shaft 103- and has a rearwardly extending arm 61 by which it is yieldingly held in a definite position. The arm 61 is attached to one end of a spring 59 whose other end is attached to a stationary stud 60 on the arm 57. Thus, when aspider rotates, the star-wheels 50 engage the'rol'ler 55 and the shock of the contact therebetw-een is absorbed in the spring 59. Should the starwheels 50 for any reason become stuck and fail to rotate,- the roller 55will be forced forward, the spring 59 being adaptedto yield under such circumstances to permit the star-wheel to pass by. Upon release of the roller 55, the arm 6.1.isprevented from being injured by the recoil due to the tension of the spring 59, by means of a spring bumper device which comprises a U-shapedguide 62 bolted to stud on theyoke 57 and upon each arm of which, there is provided, a spring 64 pressing against a cross-piece 63 lying in the path of the arm 61, andacting as abumper therefor. The counteracting tension in the springs 64 and, the spring 59 is suflicientto maintain the roller 55 in proper position to engage star-wheels 50 as they pass by.

In order to, facilitate the placing of the yainskeins on the yarn-sticks 24 and; 34 and also their removal therefrom, means is provided by which the supporting spider may be elevated or transported into and: out of the vat. This means comprises a pair of link members 91 and 92 loosely engaging at one end with portions of the shaft 12 which extend through the sides of the easing and which, at the other end, are con nected with the crank pins 110 and 104.

Crank pin 104 is mounted on a crank 90 and crank pin 110 is mounted on a worm wheel 88, the crank and the worm wheel being keyed or suitably fastened at either end of the shaft 89 mounted at the top of the res ing and in the same angular relation with respect to shaft 89. Worm wheel 88 is rotated through a worm 87 and reduction gears 81, 82, 84 and 85 set in motion by an electric motor 80. As the power is applied to the worm wheel 88 to lift the spider 10, the shaft 12 is moved upwardly in guides 83 to describe an arc of a circle about the shaft 58 as a center, since the link member 75 maintains a fixed distance between the two shafts. It will, therefore, be seen that the rotary motion of the spider may be continued regardless of the orbital motion produced by rotation of the worm wheel 88, and upon elevation of the spider, the tripping mecha nism will be transported or moved with its support and continue to function because of its being maintained in spaced relation with the spider by its supporting arms 56 and 57 respectively. Being so held, the tripping mechanism does not obstruct the elevation of the spider nor can it interfere under any circumstances. As has been said, the orbital and axial rotation of the spider may be continued simultaneously. In such a case it becomes desirable that, for a short time at least, the upward motion be arrested with the spider at its lowest point. The eyes, by

which link members'91 and 92 engage the ends of shaft 12, are therefore elongated to provide a certain amount of lost motion.

A suitable housing 112, (Fig. 2) is provided to encase the gears 67, 68 and 69 and to protect them from dust and mechanical injury.

The construction of the yarn-sticks 24 is shown in detail in Fig. 10. The yarnsticks 24, as have been above described, are mounted in pairs on opposite sides on the rings 13. Each such pair has a main shaft 25 upon which the yarn-sticks are rigidly fastened. Shaft 25 has a centrally enlarged bearing area 26 which ends approximately flush with the outer side of the ring 13 and is also provided with shank ends 27 of smaller diameter and extending in opposite directions from ring 13. Each yarn-stick 24 comprises a cylindrical or cylinder-like portion 28 with up-set ends 29 somewhat resembling a spool to prevent the yarn from slipping off. At the inner end of the yarnsticks, there are provided hub members 30 which closely fit the reduced diameter of the shank 27 and which bear against the enlarged portion 26. Each hub member 30 has a re duced portion orshoulder which fits into the cylindrical portion 28 of the yarn-sticks 24, the joint therebetween being made practically water-tight by means of a washer 31 of rubber or other suitable material. At the other end of each yarn-stick 24, there is pro vided another hub member 32 which fits onto the shank 27 of the shaft 25 and which I also fits partly within the cylindrical per-- tion 28, the joint therebetween being made water-tight by the washer 31. The end of the shank 27 is threaded and provided with a nut 33 and a washer thereunder, by means 5 of which the hub members are forced together and hold the yarn-sticks in assembled relation. The star-wheel 50 is mounted at the center of shaft 25 and is keyed or rigidly mounted thereon, in order to rotate with the yarn-sticks 24.

Fig. 11 shows the construction of the yarn-sticks 34 which are mounted on the inner ring 14. Similar to yarn-sticks 24, they are mounted in pairs and extend in op-- posite directions from the ring 14. Each pair is provided. with a shaft 35 supported by the ring and rigidly attached thereto and each yarn-stick has a cylindrical portion 30 of porcelain or other similar non-absorbent material, with flanged ends 37 similar to the flanged ends 29 of yarn-sticks 24. Each yarn-stick 34 is free to rotate independent- 1y on the shaft 35 which supports it. At one end of the cylindrical portion 36, there is provided a hub member 38 and, at the other end, a hub member 39. These hub members fit loosely on the shaft 35 and are clamped together by means of bolts 40. Yarn-sticks 34 are detachablyheld on the shaft 35 by means of a nut 41 which is screwed on the threaded end of the shank of the shaft 35 to allow the yarn-sticks to rotate freely butwithout excess sidewise motion.

As above described, the yarn-sticks supported by the ring 14 are mounted in pairs on single shafts 35, a spacer ring 14 being interposed on the spindle 35 between the sections of the supporting ring 14, as shown in Figs. 9 and 11. However, certain yarnsticks 45, when the ring 14 is rotated on the spinder 10, would not pass the arms 11 if so supported. The shafts 46, upon which the yarn-sticks 45 are mounted, are therefore discontinuous and terminate in a threaded portion and a nut 47 by which they are rigidly fastened to the side-piece 15 of the ring 14.

In order to expose as large a proportion of the area of the yarn as possible to the dye liquid, the surfaces of the yarn-sticks upon which yarn contacts are formed with corrugations or lengthwise ridges to permit the liquid to flow in and about underneath the yarn at the surfaces of the yarn-sticks. The preferred construction of these memhers is shown in Fig. 12 in which the cross section of the yarn sticks has a polygonal outline with concave sides.

In order to drain the dye liquid from the plug 9% which may be pushed upn means of the lever 95 extending neath the casing and by means of wl aperture 93 may be maintained op tying the cord Ii-5, attached to lever 95, on a suitable hook on the side or" the casing.

The apparatus as above described adapter, for operation in the "following 1nan ner. lVith the spider elevated by operation of worm wheel 88 and cooperating link members 91 and 92, the doors 4: and are opened to obtain access to the interior of the casing and crank 22 is rotated to position the yarn-sticks 524i and 23 i opposite one another. The skeins oi yarn are then looped about theyarn-sticks and crank 22 again operated to rotate the rings 13 and 14- with respect to each other stretching the yarn on the yarn-sticks until suiticiently tautto prevent sliding oil at the sides. When a su'flicient number oi"? yarnskeins have been thus charged with the skeins of yarn, the motor is then started and also the motor 80. Under the influence of these two motors, the spider is lowered to be partly submerged into the vat and is also rotated to dip the yarn-sticks thereinto. As the spider rotates, the star-wheels engage with the tripping mechanism which causes the yarn-skeins to be intermittently rotated through a partial revolu 'on. Each skein remainsin itsv position without being moved, for the period of a full revolution of the spider and during this period is subjected to the action oi the dye in the vat 1. Upon the next revolution oi the spider, the trip mechanism rotates the yarn-sticks and those portions of the yarn which may have been left untouched by the dye, due to the contact thereof with the surfaces of the yarn-sticks having been moved, are then subjected to similar action by the dye liquid. After a sufiicient number of revolutions of the spider 10 to assure proper dyeing of the yarn, the motor 80 elevates the spider 10. The removal of the skeins of yarn from the machine n a be accomplished by the reversal of the operations, above described.

The machine may be used with various colors of dye since the materials of the spider and portions to which the dye is exposed are constructed of nonabsorbent material and may be readily cleansed.

Thus by the above construction are accomplished among others, the objects to which reference has hereinbeiore been made.

its many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is int-ended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as'illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specitic features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter oi language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, issi. In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a reel. mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer yarn stick supporting rings supported on said spider, one said supporting rings having spaced connected ring sections mounted on. opposite sides or said spider arms and being ro tatable thereon, yarn sticks mounted upon each of said supporting rings and having outwardly disposed free ends remote from 'd spider, and means, for rotating said rotary supporting ring.

in aryeing machine or the like, in l ination, reel mounted for rotationin a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer yarn stick supporting rings supported on said spider, one of said supporting rings having spaced con nected ring sections mounted on opposite sides of sale spider arms and being rotatable thereon, yarn sticks mounted upon each or said supporting rings and having outwardly disposed free ends remote "from said spider, said yarn sticks being arranged in pairs, the members of which are supported respectively in said supporting rings, and the sticks adjacent the spider arms on the rotary supporting ring being entirely supportedby the adjacent ring section, so as to permit movement past the spider arms, and means for rotating said rotary supporting ring.

3. In a dyeing machine or the'like, in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer supporting rings supported on said spider, yarn sticks mounted at one end in said yarn stick supporting rings and having opposite free ends, one of said rings being movably mounted upon the spider, and the yarn sticks adjacent. said supporting arms being mounted in said movable ring to permit tree passage thereot by said supporting arms.

d. In a dyeing machine or the like,'in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vatand having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer yarn stick supporting rings supported on said spider and having stick supporting parts disposed at both sides o1 said arms, and yarn sticks mounted at one end in said stick supporting parts, and having outer i'ree ends disposed at opposite sides of saidspider.

5. In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer yarn stick supporting rings supported on said spider and having stick supporting parts disposed at both sides of said arms, and yarn sticks mounted at one one in said stick supporting parts and extending in opposite directions from saidspider and having outwardly disposed free ends, said yarn sticks having supporting spindles terminating in said stick supporting parts of said movable ring.

v6. In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer yarn stick supporting rings supported on said spider and having stick supporting parts disposed at both sides or" said arms, yarn sticks mounted at one end in said stick supporting parts and extending in opposite directions from said spider, said yarn sticks having supporting spindles terminating in said stick supporting parts of said movable ring adjacent said supporting arms, and the yarn sticks remote from said arms having supporting spindles extending continuously at opposite sides of the movable support.

7 In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a supporting spider, a yarn stick supporting ring rotatably mounted upon said spider, and having opposed stick supporting lugs disposed substantially in the planes of the opposite faces of said spider, and a yarn supporting stick supported wholly by each of said lugs.

8. In a dyeing machine or the like, in

combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer supporting rings supported on said spider, yarn sticks mounted at one end in said yarn stick supporting rings and having opposite free ends, one of said rings being movably mounted on the spider, and having sections lying at opposite sides of said supporting arms so as to permit relative movement between the support and said arms, said sections being secured together intermediate said support ing arms.

9. In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a reel mounted for rotation in a dye vat and having a spider with supporting arms, inner and outer supporting rings supported on said spider, yarn sticks mounted at one end in said yarn stick supporting rings and having opposite free ends, one or said rings being movably mounted upon the spider, and having sections lying at opposite sides of said supporting arms so as to 10. In a dyeing machine or the like, in

combination, a vat, a rotatable carrier translatable into and out of the liquor in the vat and including a spider, inner and outer rings supported bv said spider, yarn sticks supported on each of said rings and having free ends disposed outwardly from the supporting points, and means including a crank and gear connections mounted on the spider for rotating one of said rings relative to the other. I

11. In a dyeing machine or the like, in combination, a vat, a rotatable carrier translatable into and out of the liquor in the vat and including a spider, inner and outer rings supported by said spider, yarn sticks supported on each of said rings and having free ends disposed outwardly from the supporting points, and means including a crank and gear connections mounted on the spider for rotating one of said rings relative to the other, and the latter ring having connected sections slidably contacting with opposite faces of said spider, said ring rotating means being disposed between the inner ring and the rotary axis 0]": the carrier.

12. A dyeing and scouring machine, in cluding, in combination, a vat, a spider, a plurality of concentrically arranged supporting rings mounted upon said spider, and one ring being rotatable thereon, a set of rotatable yarn sticks mounted on each of said supporting rings and each being wholly supported by said spider and having a free end outwardly disposed from its supporting point and means for moving said rotatable ring to move the set of yarn sticks carried thereby relatively to the other set.

13. A. dyeing and scouring machine, including, in combination, a vat, a spider, a plurality of concentrically arranged supporting rings mounted upon said spider, and one ring including a plurality of ring sections secured together and contacting oppo site faces of the spider so as to be rotatable thereon, a set of rotatable yarn sticks mounted on each of said supporting rings and each being wholly supported by said spider and having a tree end outwardly disposed from its supporting point, and means for moving said rotatable ring to move the set of yarn sticks carried thereby relatively to the other set.

145. In combination, a yarn stick for use in a dyeing machine or the like including a hollow cylindrical porcelain body having a terminal peripheral flange, hub members tightly fitting into the ends of said cylindrical body, and a supporting spindle extending through said hub members to rotending through, said hub members and clampedtheretoto rotate therewith and with the. stick, a bearing for rotatably supporting said spindle, and a driving Wheel secured to said spindle.

16. In combination, a yarn stick for use in a dyeing. machine or the like including a spindle supported interi'nediate its ends and 20 having oppositely extending free ends, hollow cylindrical porcelain members carried by said free ends, said porcelain members having terminal peripheral flanges and hub members tightly fitting into opposite ends of 25- each supporting member and rigidly secured together.

In testimony, whereof I aflixl my signature.

ALEXANDER FEA. 

